The ‘Fat Lady’ was a popular figure of the Tang Dynasty, a period which played host to enormous social, political and economic changes, and introduced a great deal of prosperity. The origin of depictions of ‘Fat Ladies’, with their full figures, elaborate loose robes and stylised hair, have been traced back to the imperial concubine Yang Gui Fei ( AD 719-756), who was believed to be one of the four great beauties of the Tang Dynasty and the most favoured concubine of the Xuanzong emperor ( AD 712-756). The forehead makeup known as ‘Huadian’ which adorns some Fat Lady figures was believed to have been inspired by the story of Princess Shouyang, whose beauty was enhanced by a plum blossom which fell onto her forehead, though others have suggested links with the thriving Buddhist culture of the period.
To discover more about Tang statuettes, please visit our relevant blog post: Terracotta Tomb Attendants.
